FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — To commemorate Juneteenth for the 5th consecutive year, the Fresno Grizzlies paid tribute to their forefathers, the Fresno Tigers, at Chukchansi Park on Friday night.
In 1946, the Tigers were 1 of only 6 teams on the West Coast that allowed Black players a route into professional baseball, at a time when they were not allowed to play in the Major Leagues.
The modern-day Grizzlies represented the Tigers this Juneteenth, wearing their uniform and giving away Fresno Tiger hats to fans as they walked in.
“What the Fresno Tigers did was groundbreaking. It was extremely special,” said Johnny Bravo, Director of Marketing & Communications for the Grizzlies.
“They are as important a part of Fresno baseball history as the Grizzlies are, or as any of the teams who came before us are.”
According to records at the Oakland Public Library, the Tigers played the first games in West Coast Negro League baseball history at Fresno Midget Auto Racing Park.
After a few games there, the Tigers moved to San Diego. Their stay in Fresno lasted only a week.
Yet their impact lingers 80 years later, which is why the Grizzlies paid homage Friday to the time when baseball’s color barrier was broken in Fresno.